Bentley is a brand that is rich in history but forward thinking and innovative. This is the company that created a Le Mans winner and a state limousine in the same year. Their 200 mph vehicles contain the handstitching of fine leather and of high glossed veneers from 80-year-old trees; as well as the latest in-car technologies. For Bentley there is no contradiction between supreme luxury and sheer exhilaration. This was James Bond’s first car, the record-setting ride of the Bentley Boys, the vision of founder W. O. Bentley – “a fast car, a good car, the best in its class” – and a vision that is still unfolding. Here is a grand tour through one of automotive’s truly distinctive brands.